In some ways, India’s Test win this week at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was magical. So as sweet as the Melbourne win will have been, it’s worth nothing to the Indian captain if Australia win in Sydney to square the ledger. A Melbourne draw would have left things in almost the same position: with the visitors needing to dominate the fourth Test to ensure that series win. With the Ashes kept in hand away from home for the first time since 1987, the series win in Sydney was a cheerful afterthought. From the outset, anything less than a series win would have been a disappointment.

Source: The Guardian December 30, 2018 19:43 UTC